The main idea here is the hierarchy of laws in the United States. The Supremacy Clause, found in the Constitution, says the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Federal laws and treaties made under the Constitution are also part of that supreme law. That means when a conflict exists between a state’s law and federal law, the federal rule wins and the state must follow it. Judges in every state are bound to apply the Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties. International law doesn’t automatically override the Constitution; it becomes part of U.S. law only if it is adopted through treaties or other mechanisms that fit within the federal legal framework, and even then it must operate under the Constitution. So the clause establishes that the Constitution and federal law have ultimate authority over state and local laws.

The step that starts the case is the intake stage. After a juvenile is referred or arrested, intake staff review the information, gather needed details, and decide what should happen next—whether to proceed with a formal petition, pursue diversion, or dismiss. This intake decision is what launches the case into the formal process. A petition filing occurs after intake and is the formal document that brings the case into court. Adjudication comes later and is the court’s determination of delinquency after a hearing. Disposition happens after adjudication and involves deciding the outcome for the juvenile, such as probation or treatment.

Jurisdiction is the authority of a court to hear and decide cases within a specific geographic area. This geographic scope determines where a case can be brought and which court has the right to rule on it. Without proper jurisdiction, a court can’t hear a case. The other terms are broader or refer to different ideas—authority is the right to act, power is the ability to enforce decisions, and legislation means laws created by lawmakers. The term that describes the geographic area in which a court can operate is jurisdiction.

In this topic, crimes are categorized by how serious they are. A misdemeanor is a crime that is less serious than a felony and typically carries up to a year in jail plus fines, depending on the jurisdiction. In contrast, an infraction or violation is usually the least serious offense, often punishable only by fines and no jail time. Therefore, the term that best describes a less serious crime is a misdemeanor. For example, petty theft or simple assault without a weapon can be misdemeanors, while more severe offenses would be felonies.